US395261A

US395261A - Game apparatus

Info

Publication number: US395261A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1888-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1905-12-25

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

(No Model.)

1). BROOKS, Jr.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 395,261. Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

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(No Model.) v 2 Sheds-Sheet 2.

v D. BRUOKS. Jr.

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 395,261. Patented Dec. 25, 1888..

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DAVID BROOKS, JR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,261, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed April 7, 1888. Serial No. 269,960- (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID BROOKS, J12, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of games in which an indicating-target is combined with rolling projectiles to operate the indicating devices; and the object of my inven tion to construct a simple game of this character in an economical manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal side view of, my improved game. Fig. 2 is a transverse section 011 the line 1 2, Fig. 1, drawn to larger scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3 at, Fig. 2. Fig. 4; is a transverse section 011 the line 5 6, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the. gun or implement for aiming and projecting the rolling projectiles. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the indicatinglevers detached, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a part.

The apparatus consists of an alley-way, A, of suitable length-say about three feet longwith side walls and, preferably, also .end walls, and having at one end the indicating devices B, constituting the target. The other end is arranged to be elevated by means of suitable feet or legs, a, so that the alley-way or board is at a slight inclination, and lhere the separate gun D is to be used by being held in the hand of the player. The discharge end of the gun may rest or not upon the bottom of the alley, as desired. The projectiles which I prefer to use in connection with this device are disks E, of suitable size, although it should be understood that spheres or cylinders may be used if desired. The disks, however, have the advantage of being light, inexpensive, and easily directed, and allowing of a more compact arrangement of the indicating devices and the target, as will be hereinafter seen.

The gun D may be of any suitable form, comprising a barrel or trough, h, of suitable length, with a longitudinal groove in its surface for the reception and guidance of the projectiles. At the handle end of the gun a.

notch, d, is formed on the under side, reaching up into the longitudinal groove, so as to form a pocket for the projectile, which will rest in the groove in the notch, as shown in Fig. 5, until raised by the finger of the user and thereby tilted forward, so as to run down the longitudinal groove in the surface of the gun. The latter is tilted or held to such an angle that a sufficient impetus will be imparted to the projectile to roll quickly down to the target end of the alley or game-board. For convenience of manufacture I make the gun out of sheet metal bent into the trough form shown in Fig. 5, and I form the handle by soldering or otherwise affixing to this trough a piece of bent wire, (1 Strengthening-clips c are applied to the barrel of the gun, as shown.

The target consists of a suitable number of indicating-levers, e, mounted on a transverse axis, F, which is fixed in a frame, f, secured to the side walls of the alley or board. These indicating-levers e are separated from each other by guidewashers e, the lower edges of which extend slightly down below the lower arms of the levers, for a purpose explained hereinafter. Between the end washers and the side pieces of the frame I arrange suitable spacing-ferrules, f The construction of these indicating-levers 6 will be understood more fully on reference to the perspective view, Fig. 6, from which it will be seen that the long arm of the lever carries at its upper end a plate, 0 on which is a number or other device, such as is usually adopted in indicating-targets.

The short arm of the lever is inclined backward, so that when the rolling projectile strikes it the lever will readily tilt forward, and there will be less likelihood of the projectile being entirely stopped or knocked down than if that arm of the lever were vertical.

For convenience and economy of manufacture I prefer to stamp these levers up out of sheet metal, as will be understood by refer ence to Fig. 6, the bearing for the transverse shaft or axis F being formed by lugs l, bent up as indicated in the drawings.

The plate carrying the number on each le-' ver is bent up also out of the same piece of metal, and is arranged at an. angle to longitudinal line drawn through the lever, as will be seen 011 reference to Fig. 2, so that the plates of the several lovers can overlap each other, and the levers consequently will be brought closely together without reducing the size of the number-plates, so as to prevent the numbers from being readily seen.

The several levers when in their upright positions rest against and are supported by a small transverse rod, 7a, which is adapted to short slots in the opposite side pieces of the frame f, the object of the slots being to allow of a certain limited movement of the rod 70. Sufficient limited movement may, however, be allowed the rod by making it yielding or elastic, for the purpose which I will explain hereinafter.

\Vhen the levers e are in the upright position, their lower ends are at such a distance from the bottom of the alley-way that the proj ectile E, rolling down the alley, can come into contact with said short arms, and by striking them cause the indicating-levers to fall into the horizontal position, so as to show the player which of the levers has been knocked down and the number thereof.

It is preferable to so grade the numbers that the higher ones are near the center, and when the central lever is struck, as hereinafter described, the score will be a bulls-eye. The central lever has pivoted to it an arm, p, which lies at the back of the yielding rod 70, so that if the lower end of the central indicating-lever, e, be struck by the rolling projectile this lever itself will be thrown forward, and at the same time, by the action of the arm 19 upon the yielding red, the latter will receive sufficient of a blow and be thrown forward sufficiently to jerk or throw all the other levers down at the same time, making the score what would be termed a bulls-eye. I prefer to combine with this central lever, to further indicate the bullseye score, a bell, H, which may be supported, as shown in the drawings, upon the yoke f. The clapper h of the bell is carried by the central lever, e, and by preference this clapper forms a part of the arm 13, the two being made out of one piece and hinged to the central lever, e, at a, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7, so that when the central lever, c, is hit by the rolling projectile it is tilted forward, and the arm 1) strikes against the back of the rod to throw the latter forward, and with it all the other levers, and at the same time the clapper h is thrown up against the bell. lVhen any of the levers fall down, as described, they fall onto a wire yoke, m, mounted in bearings in the side pieces of the frame f. This yoke m has at the outer end of one of its axes an arm, n, to which is connected a spring, 5, on one side and an operating cord or wire, 25, on the other side. This operating-cord is carried up to the upper end of the alley-way or board and provided with a stop-button, 25, within reach of the player, so that when any of the levers e are knocked down in the course of the game the player can at once, by pulling this cord against the action of the spring 3, turn the yoke m, so as to return the levers to their upright positions.

Owing to the extension of the washers 6 down below the tilting levers and the backward projection of the lower arms of the latter, the disks E are guided in their passage through and are prevented from falling over onto one side, as they might otherwise do, when they strike the lower ends of the levers 6.

By the construction described a cheaply and easily constructed game apparatus is provided, as both the levers and the washers can all be economically stamped out and readily put together by stringing them upon the axis in proper order.

I claim as my invention- 1. The herein-described gun for targetgame apparatus, said gun having a longitudinal groove on its upper face and having a pocket at the upper end of the groove for the projectile, the said gun being adapted to be held at an angle to propel the projectile, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described gun for a targetgame, said gun having a longitudinal groove on its upper surface and a transverse notch 011 the under side extending up into the longitudinal groove at the handle end, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described indicating-target for rolling projectiles, consisting of the combination of the frame, a transverse axis, and a series of tilting indicating-levers mounted on the axis, with a yielding supporting-rod for the levers and an arm on one of said levers to act on the said rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the alleyway, frame, and axis with tilting levers carrying at their upper ends overlapping indicating plates and having their lower ends in the path of the projectile, and pendent washers between the indicating levers, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein-described tilting levers for game apparatus, each lever having a numberplate, bent lower end, and bearing-lugs, all stamped up out of one piece of metal.

6. The herein-described gun for a targetgame, said gun being. composed of bent-up sheet metal to form a longitudinal groove in its upper surface and having a handle of wire, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the alleyway, frame, axis, and tilting levers with a transverse rod, 70, a bell, and an arm on one of the levers bearing on the transverse rod and having a bell-clapper, substantially as set forth. S. The combination of the tilting indicat ing-levers of a game apparatus with a pivoted lifting-yoke, m, a spring for the said yoke, and an actuating cord or wire, I, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\Vitnesses: DAVID BROOKS, JR.

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH.